Are You A Workaholic?
Millions of people in offices and other workplaces throughout the world
find themselves in the same situation: putting in too many hours on the
job and feeling obligated to do so. A typical workaholic will often toil
well beyond the time that co-workers leave for the day, and most times
will show up the next morning before everyone else arrives. What's more,
many a weekend is given up in the pursuit of work, as are holidays. And
it can all cause a serious disconnect in the balance of life and work,
resulting in the neglect of loved ones, friends and any kind of social
life at all.
The actual reasons for becoming a workaholic are quite varied. It might
involve a need in someone to always stay a step ahead of their
co-workers or anyone else they perceive as a competitive threat. It
could be a desire to never leave the office at night without tying up
any loose ends such as returning an email, writing a memo or getting a
package out. It might be a single-minded commitment to being successful,
gaining promotion after promotion, no matter what the cost.
The bottom line is, working hard is a good thing. However, working all
the time may not be healthy, either physically or emotionally..Doctors,
psychiatrists and psychologists all agree that a good balance of life
and work, like taking time off and re-charging ones batteries, is highly
beneficial in not only making people healthier, happier and more content
but also more fit to better perform their jobs.
Do you think you balance life and work? Here are some signs that you
should look for...indicating that you are, or are becoming, a
workaholic:
You are consistently the last person in your office to leave the
office at night;
Your friends and family have indicated to
you that you are often detached, not always paying attention to them or
your home life, not listening to what they're saying or responding to
them;
Because of work commitments, you only find the time
to have dinner with your family 4 times a week or less;
You
almost always refuse to delegate or share work, instead choosing to do
everything yourself...even if it means you'll have to work late into the
night or the weekend;
You are becoming, or have become, a
perfectionist...not able to satisfy yourself that the job you have just
completed at work was well done...constantly tinkering, going over
things again and again;
You take shorter vacations than
you used to, or skip vacations altogether;
You find
yourself obsessing (or just continually thinking about) a work-related
project during your off hours at home.
